


Blossoming Romance

by gayspacecat



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: A little bit of pining, Fluff, Nonbinary Character, Nonbinary Player Character, Other, Romance, idk i'm bad at tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:55:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22060669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gayspacecat/pseuds/gayspacecat
Summary: Elliott struggles to find his inspiration for his novel until a chance meeting with a certain new farmer. Player character is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns.
Relationships: Elliott/Player (Stardew Valley)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 48





	Blossoming Romance

Elliot stood silently on the bridge between the town square and the beach, gazing wistfully at the river flowing gently below him. Something about moving bodies of water brought him comfort, as well as the occasional spark of inspiration, and today, he desperately needed the latter. His usual tricks to prompt him to push on past writer’s block had all failed him. It was already hard enough to write a romance novel when he didn’t have the personal experience to fuel him. Sure, imagination and observation got him far, but desire tugged gently at his heartstrings.

How does one have a grand romance in such a tiny town, when the options were so limited to begin with? Over his year living in this community, he had slowly grown closer to a number of townsfolk, but none really sparked his interest. On his loneliest evenings, he allowed his mind to run free, daydreaming of what love might be like with the various singles he knew, yet he couldn’t muster more than platonic feelings for any of them.

It was in the midst of this internal musing that the sound of laughter rang like a bell in the distance. Curiosity piqued, Elliot turned to find the source and immediately spotted two figures sitting under the nearby tree—Penny and Charlie, the new farmer in town. From what he could gather, Charlie had just placed a handmade flower crown on Penny’s head, and Penny, in turn, was making exaggerated gestures like she was royalty, prompting laughter from the farmer. Elliot took a few steps closer and listened in.  
“Charlie, you must help me learn to make these myself. My students would adore this!”

The farmer grinned. “With pleasure! Everyone should feel the joy of wearing flowers in their hair.” It was at this moment that Charlie looked up from the array of flowers before them and caught Elliot’s eye. “Oh, Elliot, come here, let me adorn you too!”

Penny added, “Yes, with such elegant locks, you’d look wonderful, I’m sure!”

Elliot was caught a bit off guard, not expecting to be seen so quickly. Still, he hardly wanted to say no, so found a seat facing the two and settled in, legs crossed. “You flatter me, you two. Though I won’t deny that I take pride in my mane.” He dramatically tossed his auburn hair behind his shoulder as he spoke, prompting more laughter from his companions.

Charlie seemed to be putting the finishing touches on another garland as they spoke. “I was just telling Penny that everyone should wear flowers in their hair. It’s a great way to boost your spirits, no matter how you’re feeling.” They wound the last blossom into the braid and held the finished product up for everyone to see. It was a simple piece of daisies loosely knit together. It was the sort of thing that wasn’t built to last, but was built for the beauty of it. Elliot couldn’t help but marvel a little. The farmer would have to teach him to do this too, he decided.

“Here, allow me,” said Charlie, scooting closer to Elliot. They gently lifted the wreath and crowned him. In that moment, Elliot felt his heart leap in his chest. His gaze met Charlie’s, and though it could have only been a couple of seconds, he felt locked in an eternity. Charlie smiled sweetly, and he couldn’t help but grin in response.

“You look lovely,” said Charlie.

Elliot’s cheeks flushed. He briefly lost himself in the rush of such a simple but enchanting statement. But once he regained himself, he said, “Just a moment, I must repay you.” He eyed the flowers still strewn about nearby and plucked the most vibrant one he saw. It was a vibrant blue jazz bloom, likely one Charlie had brought from their own fields. He gingerly picked it up and leaned in close to the farmer. For a fleeting moment, he imagined closing the distance and kissing them, right then and there. Instead, he tucked the blossom behind their ear. “There. Now you’ve been adorned as well.”

Charlie was beaming. “You’re quite the charmer, Elliot.”

“I could say the same for you,” he said, getting up. “I fear I must return to my work for now. Thank you for the lovely flowers.”

“Anytime.”

Before he turned to leave, Elliot glanced at Penny. She had been silent, and he considered apologizing for leaving her out. Something in her eyes made him hesitate. She smiled at him gently, like a mother reassuring her child. She knows, he thought. So instead, he returned the smile and waved as he headed off.

As the distance between them grew, he caught one last bit of conversation. “Isn’t he a delight?” came Charlie’s voice. A wave of longing hit him with such force he had to remind himself to keep walking. There would be time to explore these feelings in private. After all, perhaps he had finally found his muse.


End file.
